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About

American actor and writer whose autobiographical monologue, "Swimming to Cambodia," received widespread acclaim and was adapted into a 1987 film. He also wrote and performed several one-man shows, including "Monster in a Box" and "Gray's Anatomy."

Before Fame

He attended Emerson College and later moved to San Francisco, where he became a poetry teacher at the Esalen Institute. In 1970, he became a member of The Performance Group, an experimental theatrical troupe helmed by Richard Schechner.

Trivia

His "Swimming to Cambodia" monologue earned him both a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Book Award.

Family Life

He married his first wife, Renee Shafransky, in 1991. His decade-long marriage to second wife, Kathleen Russo, ended with his 2004 suicide. He had two sons, Forrest and Theo.